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MountainView expansion to double emergency beds

Jason Gibbs, Las Cruces Sun-News
Published 3:11 p.m. MT Nov. 7, 2015

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MountainView Regional Medical Center has announced plans to build a $10 million freestanding emergency medical center on land which is currently, and coincidentally, home to the hospitals wait time marker for current ER visits.(Photo: Sun-News file photo)Buy Photo

The hospital will increase emergency room capacity from 10 to 22 beds through the expansion of the existing facility, said Denten Park, CEO of MountainView.

MountainView will invest nearly $5 million to more than double the number of rooms in its current ER. The expansion will not add square footage, but will use existing space within the hospital. Noise will be reduced and patients will have more privacy, a news release stated.

"We've had an area that was designed for something else that we are going to modify and make it work for everything we have going on," Park said. "We've needed to expand our ER for a while."

Construction — done in two phases — is scheduled to be complete in fall 2016. The ER will remain open and accessible to the community for the entire duration of the project.

"We are taking care of patients every single day," Park said. "We are so excited to be moving forward. It's been a long time in coming. It's a big deal for us and the community to be able to double our beds. It's big for the hospital and big for the community."

Park noted the hospital continues to move forward with plans to build a $10 million freestanding emergency room on the East Mesa as well.

“These improvements will enhance our number one priority — delivering quality care to our patients,” Park said. “We’re humbled that so many patients continue to choose MountainView for their emergency care, and we’re pleased to invest in this expansion as our commitment to our community.”

Over the past five years, MountainView has seen more than 40 percent growth in the number of patients choosing the hospital for emergency care, according to a news release.

“Our physicians and nurses work together closely to meet patients’ medical needs and offer them the best possible experience in an emergency,” said Michael Borunda, MD, medical director of the emergency department. “These improvements will support our work to respond to a wide range of emergencies.”

The ER has a 30-minute pledge to support prompt and appropriate medical care, the release stated.

Jason Gibbs may be reached at 575-541-5451. Follow him on Twitter @fjgwriter.